Answered By: Melanie Cooksey PHSC

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2015Views: 792

According to the University of Georgia, discovery tools are a type of search engine. The following was taken from their website describing discovery tools.

WHAT ARE DISCOVERY TOOLS?

The library software and electronic content markets have been offering “Discovery “ tools for several years. These products are designed to provide a “Google”-like single-search experience of the world of library electronic resources, including the library online catalog, databases, ejournals, digital collections, and more.

Common Features of Discovery Tools Include:

Single search box

Consolidated index of bibliographic metadata from many sources

Fast, single set of results tailored to a library’s collections

Facets for easy search refinement by subject, author, type of material, and more